Case rack for vehicle bodies



Oct. 5 1926. Y

I R. c. WANN CASE RACK FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed Augusi 16l 1924 INVENTOR R azym and C. T/Vaznn ATTORNEYl Patented Ot.75, 1926,."

1,601,990 PATENT ori-Ica RAYMOND C. WANN, 0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

CASE RACK FOR VEHICLE BODIES.

Application led'August 16, 1924. Serial No. 732,857.

This invention relates to improvements in racks applicable to vehicle-bodies for supporting boxes or cases of goods, my .main object being to provide a device of this general character which is formed as-a complete unit entirely independent of the body, and adapted to be quickly and easily mounted therein. y

My device isA especially intended for use in milk wagons used in the retail delivery of individual milk bottles to the consumers and the racks are so arranged that the driver may readily remove the bottles from the case from 'either end of the vehicle, and Iwhen a case is empty, may quickly and easily v shift it out of the way onto another rack.

' of the rack, adapted to rest on the longis In this way the driver can easily handle his loadof cases and make deliveries with a minimum of effort, and avoid the necessity of having to stop and rearrange the cases Y' as must now frequently be done in order to avoid burying a full case below a number of empty ones.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one whichv will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which itis designed.

These objects I accomplish by means'of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

The figure on the drawing is a perspective view of my improved rack structure. Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the' drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the lower' end members' tudinally spaced end transverse sills 2 of a vehicle body and to-be secured thereto by bolts 3.

Uprights 4, at the 'ends ofthe members 1, extend to a suitable point, and are connected by cross members 5 parallel to the members 1, there being a centrally disposed upright 6 between each pair of' end uprights.

Extending between and secured to the corresponding uprights 4 and 6 are horizontal guide rails 7, arranged in transverse pairs vertically spaced, each pair being adapted to support a case 8 thereon which may slide lengthwise of the rails.

At both ends of one rail of each pair are spring catch lugs 9 of well known form, normally projecting above the rails to prevent the caseA from sliding beyond the ends of said rails, but depressible at will to allow the case to be slid onto or from the rails without raising the case.

A diagonal brace' 10 preferably extends between the upper and lower ends of the central uprights 6 to brace the structure against longitudinal swaying, while if necessary intermediate uprights 11 may be mounted midway of the length of the rails and connected thereto, to prevent sagging of the rails intermediate their ends.

lAdditional rails 12 supported bythe u per end members 5 serve to support ice tan s 13 of suitable design, said tanks having transverse baiie plates 14, and their bottoms having drip-holes 15 to allow the ice water to drip down onto the bottles in the cases beneath. This is of course mainly necessary in warm weather only.

The height of the structure relative to the body in which it is to be placed is such' that the top of the ice tanks will at least clear the rear entrance to the body.

The upper portion of the rack structure is prevented from having any lateral swaying' movement relative to the body by means of horizontal plates 16 adjustably fixed "on the upper transverse frames 5 and extending beyond the ends thereof. The outer ends of said plates are bent to form pads 17 which are adapted to abut against the inner faces of the end and corner uprights 18 of the vehicle body.

These plates are adjusted to fit after the structure is inserted in the body and bolted in place to the end sills thereof. The plates 16 are then slid` outwardly so that the pads 17 thereon'bear firmly against the uprights, and the holding bolts 19jof saidplates are then cinched up. It will thus be seen that the body and rack are mounted with each other so as to prevent relative lateral swaying thereof, and one braces the other. Also, the lates being independently adjustable, may properly engaged with the respective uprights regardless of Whether or not the according to his convenience and preference,

course be made of any suitable'material,-but

Iprefer to use structural iron, mainlyT` anglebars, which lend themselvestoy easy ass'embly, and combine lightness and minimumof bulk with relatively great strength;

readily seen that I have produced such ade-y vice as substantially fulfills'y the the invention as set forthgheren.- A

While this Specificationzsers fori-,h in detail) the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as ldo not form f objects of cles, the rack including vertical end members adapted for substantial transverse alinement-'with' the vertical end posts' of the body l-[ofthe vehicle, means for removably fasten- From the foregoing description yit will be' `j vzontal straps' mounted on the end members `*and` extending transversely thereof, means -11oradjustingsaid straps laterally of the ve- .hicle,' and lright Vangle lanfgeslatv one end of ingthe'I rack to the bed of the vehicle, hori-v the strapsarranged to abutagainstthe advjacent longitudinal' sideV faces ofl "thev `body posts.v e v In testimonyv whereof Il alix my signature.

s 'RAYMQND c.'y WANN. 

